17. Darcy
17
DARCY
I clicked off the car radio as Callum’s voice began to sing through my speakers. I was still shocked from what I had just heard, overwhelmed that he would say all of that on the radio. Did this mean he was actually serious about staying in town?
I rolled down my window and breathed in the smell of wet dirt from all the rain yesterday. I let the air rush over my face as I tried not to think about the warm, solid presence of Callum sleeping beside me last night. I was headed to Everett, the town next to ours. An office building had just been listed, and I had a chance to see it before anyone else did.
Liz and I had spent the past six months discussing the possibility of an office space in Everett. It would give us a spot to meet with clients instead of them having to drive out to Maplewood. And, based on market research, the real estate market in Everett was about to explode.
My phone buzzed beside me, and I looked down to see my accountant’s name pop up on my cell phone screen. I turned the car sound system back on so I could answer it through Bluetooth.
“Hello?” I asked, rolling up the window so I could hear him better.
“Hey, Darcy, it’s Anthony.”
“Yeah, hi Anthony,” I said. I tried to bring my mind back to any recent conversations I’d had with him about my finances. I hired Anthony after my dad died to help me manage his assets and assist with the closing out of accounts.
“So, you asked me to take a look at things,” he said. “So you could think about buying some more property in Everett.”
“Right,” I said, thankful he was reminding me of what we last talked about. My mind felt scattered, filled with fragments of conversations. “I’m actually on my way to check out a property now.”
“You are?” he asked. His voice sounded surprised and even a little nervous. I could tell it was a bad sign.
“What’s up?” I asked, trying to keep my voice light.
“I’m not sure it’s the right time to invest right now. After closing out your father’s estate, there’s not as much left as you might have hoped. And you still have the property taxes on the hardware store which aren’t insignificant.”
“I see,” I said. I flexed my fists around the steering wheel. “So, there’s not enough there for a down payment?”
“The down payment wouldn’t be too much of a problem,” he said. I could hear papers rustling on the other end of the phone. “But I’m not sure carrying two mortgages and paying taxes on three properties makes the most sense with your current financial situation. They would be significant expenses to account for each year. Now, if you were to sell the hardware store ...”
“I don’t want to talk about that,” I snapped. I was instantly embarrassed by this knee-jerk reaction. But any conversations about the hardware store felt far too raw and emotional for me.
“I understand that,” Anthony said. “But it’s hard to ignore such a big offer.”
I held my tongue. I knew if I tried to talk about the hardware store, and the offer Callum had made on it, I might not be able to keep a waver out of my voice. I didn’t want to cry in front of my accountant.
“A cash offer like that would completely change your financial situation. You could open three offices if you wanted to!”
“We don’t want that,” I said, keeping my jaw locked in place. Liz and I weren’t looking to create some real estate empire. We simply wanted a place where our clients could meet with us close to the properties they were selling or buying. And we wanted to cut down on our own commute time.
“Of course,” Anthony said, a hint of apology in his voice. “I just meant it would change things. I wouldn’t have any problem advising you to buy in Everett if you accepted the offer on the hardware store.”
“I understand,” I said. I glanced at the clock, knowing Anthony would charge me for this phone call and dreading the bill. “Is that all?”
“What are you thinking about that offer?” he asked. Even though I had told him I didn’t want to talk about it, he was clearly not ready to let this go. “Will you accept it?”
“Like I said, Anthony,” I muttered. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Of course,” he said. “Anyway, let me know how things go at the Everett property. If you want to put in an offer, I might have to move some things around.”
“Got it,” I said. “Thanks for your help.”
After I hung up I let out an angry groan, full of frustration and confusion. It was frustrating to hear people speak about the hardware store as simply an asset with a fixed price tag. The memories of that place made it worth so much more to me. But I knew it was hard for other people to understand that. Callum’s words floated back to me.
I will do everything in my power to make it a building that Maplewood and the family can be proud of.
Was it true? Would Callum find a way to honor the history of the place? I wanted to believe it, but all my doubts about Callum Jones came flooding back to me. If he wanted to honor my family, then why didn’t he tell me he was putting an offer in on the place? Why did he blindside me with that?
I pulled up to the office that was about to be listed and saw the real estate agent standing outside, waiting for me. He was an acquaintance of mine, someone I had interacted with a few times during real estate deals for clients. Liz always joked about how handsome he was, and ever since my break-up, she had been dropping hints to me about going out with him.
“Hey, Darcy.” He smiled, and I saw warmth in his eyes. I wasn’t sure if I should hug him or not, but we opted for a handshake that lingered a bit too long.
“Hey, Randy,” I said.
“It’s so good to see you.” He smiled down at me before reaching out to open the door and letting me cross in front of him.
“Thanks for letting me look at the place. Liz and I are thinking it might make sense to have an office out here.”
“I was curious why you were looking at an office space!” Randy said. “If I had known the competition was coming to Everett, I might have said no to showing you the place.” He laughed then, and I was caught by how easy we fell into this playful conversation with one another.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “From what I hear you’ve pretty much clinched the market for single, middle-aged women. I don’t think Liz and I are going to interfere with that!”
“You underestimate yourself,” he smiled.
He began to show me the space which was one open room with a conference room off to one side and a kitchen on the other. The open space still held large metal desks lined up in rows that was weirdly reminiscent of a police station. The ceiling had old fluorescent lights that were flickering.
“I know it’s not much,” Randy said, following beside me as I toured the space. “But with a little work, it could be a comfortable space.”
I thought back to Anthony’s comments. If it would be difficult for me to scrape together the down payment for the place, it was unlikely I would have the money to renovate. As I listened to Randy explain the parking lot spaces and the rental potential in the space upstairs, I couldn’t help feeling discouraged. Liz and I were working so hard for a place like this and it could really expand our business. But without selling the hardware store it looked like it wasn’t an option.
“It might be bigger than what we need,” I told him.
“Sure, but you could partner with other real estate agents. You could rent out desk space.”
“That’s an interesting idea,” I said. I wondered what sort of income that could bring in, but I felt weird asking Randy about that. I didn’t want to seem too desperate.
“I’ve had a few other calls about it, but I’ll give you first refusal if you want. But I can’t let it sit too long or my partners will start to ask questions,” he joked.
“Thanks, Randy,” I said. “I’ll talk it over with Liz.”
“Absolutely.”
There was a pause then, now that the official real estate business was primarily concluded. I took another moment to stare back at the room, and I could feel the very palpable presence of Randy beside me.
“I was sorry to hear about what happened with your engagement,” Randy stated.
I blinked at him.
“Which part?” I asked. “The engagement or the breaking up?”
He chuckled at this.
“I meant the breaking up,” he said. “Though, maybe ‘sorry’ isn’t the right word. That guy must be an idiot to let you go.”
Suddenly the air between us felt tense, filled with unspoken questions.
“Maybe you’d like to have dinner sometime?” Randy asked. “If you’re ready to see other people, that is.”
My head spun with this question as I stared back at Randy’s strong jaw and his short, carefully styled hair. Liz hadn’t been wrong to think there might be something between us. And now that I had broken up with John, nothing was stopping me. Right?
I was surprised when Callum’s face floated into my brain. The radio interview earlier and his comments about the hardware store were still fresh in my thoughts and then there was dinner and everything else last night. I thought of the casual, easy conversation between us and the spark I felt anytime our eyes connected.
You kicked him out of the house this morning , I reminded myself. You were fuming mad at him! And now you’re going to let him be the reason you don’t go on a date with a handsome, successful man you are attracted to?
I knew I should say yes to Randy. I knew Callum Jones was too complicated and too famous for there to be something real between us. And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to go on a date with someone else. Everything inside of me was rejecting the idea.
“I don’t think I’m ready for that,” I told Randy, echoing his own words.
“No problem,” he said. “I totally get it.”
As Randy smiled at me, I wondered if I was missing out on some calm, predictable life where I would work alongside my real estate husband. We would join the business association and send our kids to private school.
“Let me show you out,” Randy said, pointing me back toward the door.
As he walked me back to my car, I knew it wasn’t the life for me. I didn’t know what was ahead of me, but I would take a life that was fun and unpredictable over one that was ordinary any day. As I said my goodbyes to Randy, I slipped back into my car and checked my phone. I had a text from Liz staring back at me:
911! Elementary School!